My Diwali - Lights of Virtue: A sparkling book on the festival of lights [Review]

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Title: My Diwali- Lights of Virtue
Written by: Priya Kumari and Komal Garg
Illustrated by: Abhilasha Khatri
Published by: Eternal Tree Books
Type: Paperback
Length: 50 pages
Age: 5-7 years

My Diwali-Lights of Virtue is a book bursting with vibrant yet lucid story telling, dazzling illustrations and rich cultural meaning.

The story starts with Leela and Aadi cleaning up their house for the Festival of Lights. This is followed by a trip to the market for Diwali shopping wherein the significance of each item purchased is explained.

There is also a brush with a stranger-danger in the market which reminds the young readers to keep away from strangers.

The inquisitive kids want to know why each day is celebrated and their parents explain the story of Lord Rama and his epic battle over the evil King Ravana. The story of Ramayana is brought to life through the adorable illustrations by Abhilasha Khatri.

The authors have explained the cultural significance of Diwali in the northern part of India.
Why do we buy a silver pot on Dhanteras?
Why do we light lamps on Diwali?
Why is Choti Diwali celebrated?
The rituals followed during Bhai dooj and Govardhan Puja are also explained.

The authors have lucidly explained the reasons behind the rituals and added a note for the caregivers towards the end of the book.

A stand out feature is the wonderfully informative note for educators and care-givers. The cultural and economic significance of Diwali is highlighted. Each ritual which may appear jaded or blindly followed is explained from a logical point of view.

There is also a glossary with a pronunciation guide of the commonly used Hindi words during Diwali.

Siddhanth, my 4 year old, particularly enjoyed the graphic Ramayana story and the colourful illustrations. He was intrigued to learn about the reason behind lighting the lamps.

A minor drawback, if I were to point out, is that the significance of Diwali only in North India is covered. It would have been more inclusive, if there could have been a note on how Diwali is celebrated across other parts of India too.

If you are looking for a book which deep dives into the cultural practices of Diwali, this is THE book to buy! Sparking words and dazzling pictures make it a cracker of a book!

Other books by the authors are:
The ABCs of Virtue: An Alphabetic Guide to Finding the Magic in You
My Raksha Bandhan: Promise To Protect ,

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Disclaimer: Sowmya is a part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the authors via kbc.